Apple hires CEO of Burberry to head retail division

Apple has hired Angela Ahrendts, the former CEO of Burberry, making her the first women on the Apple executive team and yet another fashion head at that level.

Ahrendts will fill the long-vacant position of head of retail and online stores previously run by John Browlett.

According to Apple, Ahrendts will oversee the strategic direction, expansion and operation of both Apple retail and online stores. Its stores have already proved extremely popular worldwide thanks to their aesthetic and, many believe, customer service set-up. Features like the Genius Bar, personal set-up and one-to-one personal training help customers get the most out of their Apple products.

"I am thrilled that Angela will be joining our team," said Apple CEO Tim Cook. "She shares our values and our focus on innovation, and she places the same strong emphasis as we do on the customer experience. She has shown herself to be an extraordinary leader throughout her career and has a proven track record."

Ahrendts will join Apple in the spring from Burberry, where she served as CEO and led the company through a period of global growth. Before Burberry, she was executive vice-president at Liz Claiborne, and earlier in her career served as president of Donna Karan International.

Burberry has embraced technology in a huge way in its stores and on the runway, with the company recently tying up with Apple to promote the iPhone 5S.